MOMA PS1 Rockaway Call for Ideas Winning Proposal, AN.ONYMOUS

Designed by AN.ONYMOUS, their ”ex.terra” proposal was chosen as one of the winners in the MOMA PS1 Rockaway competition. Their design proposes the creation of a new ground, which serves as an infrastructural network. The structure, elevated 10-15m meters above the current sea level, connects to the existing subway line, bridges and roads in the rockaway. The geometry of the new structure, as an anamorphic grid, creates a structural system which is able to resist and at the same time capture the energy of the wind and the water. The city is then plugged into this infrastructure with designated blocks for different use. More images and architects’ description after the break.
On October 28, 2012 Hurricane Sandy hit New York City and its surroundings, taking 72 lives, destroying thousands of homes, and leaving millions without power. Rockaway peninsula was amongst the areas affected most by the storm. In an effort to foster the creative debate on urban recovery after Hurricane Sandy, MoMA PS1 and MoMA’s Department of Architecture and Design initiated a call for ideas to create a sustainable waterfront.
Artists, architects, designers, and others were welcome to present ideas for alternative housing models, creation of social spaces, urban interventions, new uses of public space, the rebuilding of the boardwalk, protection of the shoreline, and actions to engage local communities. This event was beyond the scale and scope of our expectations. But imagining a sustainable waterfront lies in the realization of the changing of our climate as well as our shifting landscapes. The sea level is rising and solutions should not only respond to the conditions of the next thirty or fifty years, but the next two or three hundred years, where the entire peninsula could potentially be under water.
To maintain the spirit of the seaside community, the infrastructural system creates a series of boardwalks and piers along the beach to activate it, and may one day replace the beach as the new waterfront. The housing blocks consist of about 100 units facing a courtyard. The courtyard is intended for farming, gardening, recreation, public events, as well as a protected gathering space in case of emergency.
Energy is a key element of this proposal. Taking advantage of the daily cycle of nature, such as water tides, sunlight and high wind velocity, the project is able to harness the needed energy and create a self-sufficient community.
video: